02-20-09
From the Desk of Westchester County
District Attorney Janet DiFiore
Protecting Westchester’s Seniors
     As Westchester County’s chief law enforcement officer, I am particularly concerned with the safety and security of Westchester’s growing number of senior residents. According to the Westchester County Department of Planning, by 2010, the number of Westchester residents age 60 and over will increase by 9% compared with 2000; the number age 80 and over, a potentially more vulnerable group, is expected to increase by the same rate. My office is active in both prosecution and prevention of crimes where seniors are frequent targets.
     The Special Prosecutions Division of the District Attorney’s Office prosecutes cases of elder abuse, which generally involves physical or emotional abuse of an older adult by someone in a position of trust, and can include physical assaults or failure to provide appropriate physical or medical care. Because this abuse often involves homebound victims, it is important that all of us pay attention if we see a family member or neighbor who has an injury, appears fearful, or shows signs of poor nutrition or care. My office has specialized prosecutors, teamed with a criminal investigator funded by a federal Violence Against Women Act grant, who respond to victims of such crimes, often meeting them in their homes to limit stress and inconvenience.
     Seniors are often targets of financial exploitation and fraud, crimes that the Economic Crimes Bureau of the District Attorney’s Office investigates and prosecutes. Identity theft and financial exploitation are, according to the Federal Trade Commission, the fastest growing non-violent types of crime. The criminals who see seniors as easy victims include thieves who take money, valuables or financial information; tech-savvy email and online scammers who steal identities; trusted individuals who abuse a power of attorney; and home improvement contractors who secure payment and fail to perform. Perpetrators often target seniors by taking advantage of vulnerabilities such as isolation or lack of technical or online proficiency. Through outreach and education, my office provides information on techniques used by these criminals, and ways seniors can protect themselves.
     My office has worked as part of Westchester County’s Elder Abuse Coalition in educating the banking community in detecting and reporting various forms of financial fraud targeting seniors.  In 2008, my office collaborated with other Elder Abuse Coalition members in forming Senior Crime Busters, a proactive elder fraud and crime prevention program. This effort brings Assistant District Attorneys and representatives from other Coalition agencies to speak to groups of seniors and provide tips on how to stay safe and avoid financial exploitation and other scams.  This collaborative outreach effort has presented to over 30 senior audiences since we began in summer 2008, and we anticipate that the number will grow substantially in 2009.
     My goal is to prevent crime and fraud before they happen, and, where crimes do occur, to prosecute them vigorously. Please share this information with your loved ones. If you have been a victim of elder abuse, or suspect that someone you know has, please call the Elder Abuse Bureau at 914-995-3000; for complaints regarding financial fraud, please call the Economic Crimes Bureau at 914-995-3303.  For help scheduling a Senior Crime Busters or other community event, please call me at 914-995-2477. If you have any questions or need additional information on our senior programs, please visit our website at www.westchesterda.net.